Commerce City, Colo. – The Colorado Rapids were busy with additions to the roster in September, that’s for sure. With new Midfielder Youseff Aziz going down with a leg injury early in his time here, Head Coach Matt Wells needed an offensive spark after sending Dante Sealy to Montreal in recent times as well. Morgan Whittaker, an Englishman like Wells, has answered that call from the opening whistle.
The 25-year-old attacker wasted no time in producing for his new side after leading Championship side Middlesbrough FC in scoring last season.
“I think I wanted to move away from Middlesbrough, I just felt it was time to move away, and then my agent saw this opportunity and I know the coaching staff from England,” Morgan told Burgundy Wave recently about the quickly-surfaced move to Colorado.
Middlesbrough to a quick start in MLS:
“It’s been an easy transition because of the coach and the players. This group makes it so easy, and everyone is so easily approachable. Just experiencing a new culture, new country, I think it was just the right time for me and it made sense for me to do it.”
After his first minutes in a victory over Montreal just a week after his signing became official, Morgan saw his first MLS start against Seattle, scoring two goals, and making his presence felt immediately.
“I’m such a perfectionist that I feel like I’ve put a lot on myself, so I think I’ve put myself in that position because of the expectations I have for myself, so I think that’s linked in to me always wanting to be at the forefront of everything,” the young man from Derby explains.
“Especially if games aren’t going our way, I think if someone shows a bit more energy it bolsters the team, so if I can try to do that I think it gives to everyone.”
That attacking energy is something Morgan takes pride in, as well as being a leader on the pitch through his infectious attitude and constant positive approach in both himself and the game in front of him.
“I think just showing you can be a leader in different ways – be really tough getting the ball, a positive reaction if we make a mistake. If I lose a ball, it shows the team it’s just part of the game and get on with it. It’s a bit of both being a leader, but also being me at the same time, which I really like.”
Part of what makes Whittaker such a threat going forward is his desire to be on the ball, making things happen, getting involved no matter he’s slotted in the lineup, and putting constant pressure on the opponent – perfect for this new Matt Wells approach being incorporated on both sides of the ball this season.
“That’s what I’m used to, it’s a very English way of playing now,” Morgan admits. “Everyone needs to be an athlete, and play football, so it’s nothing really new. It’s nice that style is coming to a different league because it’s just going to make the league better. Teams have to raise their level just to keep up fitness-wise, so it automatically raises the level of the games. I think the players are relishing it so even when they leave here, they’ll take that mentality with them.”
Academy experience and taking the next opportunity:
Morgan has always been involved in football, but the reasons he loves the game have as much to do with shaping him as an adult, as they do creating a career which allows him to see and experience the world differently from most kids his age.
“I was very quiet, well-behaved kid”, he says matter-of-factly. “I’ve always been like a shy kid, I think, growing up until you get to know me. From now to as a kid, I’ve not really changed much. What you see is what you get. I always put myself in new experiences. I think football has helped a lot with feeling uncomfortable, obviously with moving teams a lot, meeting new people, having to go to new places and perform, so I think that’s really helped – Probably a bit more adaptable to different situations (now).”
His path from a young age at home in Derby, accelerated through the Academy there and into English Championship football, before his last two seasons almost leading Middlesbrough to Premier League promotion. “I was being scouted from like 9 (yrs of age), and it seems normal when you just always used to it, so it’s not feeling like such a big jump going into Academy football because it’s always been there.”
“I think the biggest thing is when you get into 18s and you end up moving on from somewhere you’ve been all your childhood is probably the biggest jump and shock as a player. You see why so many players drop off at that age. You don’t really understand it until you’re there and see 9-10 of your teammates are either like lower league or they’re not playing anymore.”
Morgan’s always been confident in his ability and eager to take the next step, to learn from new experiences:
“I’ve always known myself and what I’m capable of, so I’ve never been grateful for an opportunity. I’ve always felt like I’m ready to take the opportunity. I’ve always been ready and I think how I am, I’ll never be happy playing at a high level – it’s always one more, that’s how I am.”
This mentality served Whittaker well as he left Derby and moved around English football. The 2022-23 season saw him with promotion to the Championship with Plymouth Argyle, then help them stay up with 27 goal contributions in league play. That saw his move to Boro.
When he was in form, he was excellent for Argyle and a good contributor for Boro. He had moments of inconsistency, which certainly played into his perfectionist mentality.
Thoughts on supporter culture, living in America:
Whittaker also has a somewhat refreshing view on following professional football, in that he’s generally not much a fan of the game as far as being a supporter in the UK. “I’ve got to be honest, no, I’m not a fan. Ever since I’ve been playing, I love football but it’s also killed the love of football for me as a fan perspective because of how pressurized our environment is.”
“I’ll never be able to experience it as a fan knowing what the player side of it is like. I can see both sides of it, and obviously a fan can only see one side of it, so I can’t be a fan and slate players when I know that side of it.”
Argyle fans certainly remember Whittaker fondly. His 2023-24 season is one of the best individuals years for a player there in sometime. Fans of his boyhood club Derby would point to his goals against the Rams when he played for Swansea and Boro. As Rapids Twitter found out, Boro fans were mixed on Whittaker. His individual play and the club’s goals of promotion played into that pressurized atmosphere.
However, now that he’s in a very sports-centric city like Denver, Morgan is keen to take in all those experiences and let his fandom take off with teammates, and maybe even his teenage brother and sister when they visit.
“I watched the American football over the weekend so it’s nice to be involved with the group, and that’s something I wanted to experience over here is just different experiences like baseball, NFL, the NBA, stuff like that. It’s a way of socializing away from football, which is very important.”
In addition to being eager to learn some of the Spanish language, Whittaker generally likes to just wind down alone and enjoy time away from the pressure of football on occasion. “I’m so 100 mph, if I’m like that at home I’d drive myself crazy, so I’m just zoning out. I’m really comfortable in my own space so I can just veg out all day and take my mind off everything. Even on the first day here, I didn’t feel like I’m a million miles away from home, which I am, but I’m just so used to getting on with it just feels normal.”
Morgan seems every bit a very sincere, hard-working, but bluntly honest young man in his views of his own game as well as the Rapids going forward. As Colorado fights for their playoff spot in the West, something that he’s been through just last season in the EFL, he’s already recognizing the little things they can do to get into the post-season. “The coaches show me clips of how they want to play, but when you see it in person it’s another thing.”
“What Matt’s trying to do shows the quality – Little things, like things we can take from the English game into the league like kill games and frustrate, be more clever managing the game, sort the away record out and when we concede first, but apart from that we’re going in the right direction and that shows, especially at home how good a team we are.”
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